06.24. "When he was Tried... Offered up his Only Son"

"When he was Tried... Offered up his Only Son" In Heb 11:17-19, we have the trial of Abraham’s faith.

"By faith Abraham has offered up Isaac when he was tried (or put to the test). Even he, who had accepted (or waited for) the promises, was offering up his only-begotten son; with respect to whom it was said that ‘In Isaac shall thy seed be called.’ Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from among the dead, from whence, in a figure also, he did receive him back."

We stop not to consider the revolting calumnies and profanities of some of the "higher" critics who dare to ascribe this (which the Holy Ghost ascribes to Abraham’s faith) to "an incontrollable impulse of Moloch worship!" The Infidel blasphemies which have been put forth from Porphyry downward are today repeated from "Christian" pulpits, and professors’ chairs in our Universities.[74]

[74] We refer to the late Dean Stanley, who thus taught (Lectures on the History of the Jewish Church) with others in Essays and Reviews, and, since then, those who repudiate the whole history.

They say it was not "by faith" but by a mistaken suggestion of Abraham’s own mind, similar to the abominable superstition of the Phoenicians in burning their children; and that Abraham is to be condemned and not commended for it. So far from being proof of his obedience; it was proof of his infirmity and ignorance. From such blasphemous teachers may God deliver the young men who are sent to sit at their feet!

Even Dr. Torrey (Hard Problems of Scripture) suggests that God did not command Abraham to sacrifice his son upon the altar. With these we have nothing to do. We are writing for those who, like Abraham, "believe God," and must leave all such unbelieving critics to that Word which shall itself judge them in that day when the Lord will vindicate His truth. Our delight shall be to feed in the "green pastures" of the Word, in which we need to be made to lie down by the Great Shepherd; and not to trample it with our feet, which are defiled by the world and its wisdom and its ways.

Thus feeding on the Word, instead of criticizing it, we note first the Divine perfection of it in the use of the Tenses in Heb 11:17.

"By faith Abraham when he was tried HAS OFFERED UP Isaac; and he that had received the promises WAS OFFERING UP his only begotten son."

Both these verbs are important, and loudly call our attention to their peculiarity. The former is the second of the three times which the Perfect Tense is used in this chapter.[75] [75] The first being in Heb 11:5, and the third in Heb 11:28.

"Has offered," shows that God reckoned his faith as his act; and imputed the result to him as though he had actually completed it; just as He imputes Christ’s righteousness to our faith, as our being actually righteous in Him. The Imperfect Tense, which follows ("was offering,") shows that the act of offering, itself, was not completed; for it was while in the act of offering, that Jehovah spake, and forbade the consummation. In Gen 22:16 God regards Abraham as thus having actually done it. He says: "By Myself have I sworn, saith the LORD; for because THOU HAST DONE this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing I will bless thee... because thou hast obeyed My voice." This is why the Perfect Tense is used in Heb 11:17 "By faith Abraham HAS offered up Isaac, when he was tried," etc.

It is this which puts "faith" as being synonymous with "obedience." This is why we have the expression "the obedience of faith." This is the Genitive of "Apposition," and means, not only the obedience which springs from faith, and, which has faith for its origin and its source; but because faith is put for, and reckoned as, obedience itself. Obedience, reckoned as faith: i.e., "faith-obedience" would be a good rendering. The two are inseparable. If we believe what God says we shall necessarily act in accordance with our faith. If we do not so act, it is proof positive that we do not believe; and that there is no faith worthy of the name.

It is this fact which reconciles what the Holy Spirit says by Paul, and what He says by James. It is the same inspiring spirit who "moved" both.

There is no more difference between them than between different parts of this manuscript, part of which may have been written with a quill pen, and another part by a steel pen, or a fountain pen. There can be no discrepancy except in our own failure to rightly divide the word of truth, and receive all as coming from the same Divine Author.

If we really believe God we shall as readily do what He commands, as we shall rely on what He promises. And thus faith is translated into obedience, and obedience is faith translated into action. Any other kind of obedience is not "of faith," and is therefore "sin." There is plenty of obedience and "works" which come from the flesh, and not from faith; but these are called "dead works."

Paul and James spoke and wrote by the same Spirit, and teach the same truth. And we shall see this at once, if we understand this identity of faith and obedience, or faith and works which is contained in the expression "the obedience (that is to say) faith." But for this identity this Scripture could never have been written. "By faith Abraham HAS offered up Isaac" (Heb 11:17), and "Because thou HAST DONE this thing" (Gen 22:17).

It was not "by fact" but "by faith," and this explains everything.

There is another reason why the Perfect Tense is used here. As the whole transaction was a type of the sacrifice of Christ, and, as that has endured through all time, so it could be said that it "has been offered," and that its infinite merits are still as perfect and effectual as at the time when the offering was made.

It was the trial of Abraham’s faith; and it was the gracious act of God. It was He who said, "Take now thy son, thine only son, Isaac."

God did not try Lot’s faith. Sodom was sufficient to try that.

Abraham’s obedience here was as ready as when he was called to get out of his own country. It is obedience that is the test of faith; and it is obedience that is in question here, in the case of Abraham.

Hence, in Gen 22:3, we read, "And Abraham rose up early in the morning." When God "separated" Saul of Tarsus and called him to preach His gospel, we read: "Immediately, I conferred not with flesh and blood, etc" (Gal 1:15-16).

Faith never confers with flesh and blood. If it did so it would cease to be "faith," and become "sight" at once.

It was the same faith that said (Gen 22:5), "I and the lad will go yonder and worship." Faith is always occupied with God, whose "word" or "report" it hears. Abraham was not occupied with his faith, or with his obedience, or with himself, in any way whatever, but only with his God. "I and the lad will go yonder AND WORSHIP."

God, and God’s Word, filled Abraham’s heart, and occupied all his mind and thoughts.

Hence, Abraham added the words, "and come again to you" (Gen 22:5). Was Abraham lying to his young men? Most assuredly not. It was the language of the most precious faith.

We know not all that passed through Abraham’s mind: but we are told that he accounted that "God was able to raise him (Isaac) up even from the dead" (Heb 11:17). It is clear from this that Abraham believed that even if he did slay his son God would immediately raise him up again from the dead.

This, surely, must be the force of the words "in a figure" in Heb 11:19. The Greek is ἐν παραβολῇ (en parabolē), in a parable. But a parable is a similitude, in which two things are cast side by side for the purpose of comparison.

Great differences of opinion have been manifested as to the meaning of the words, but there is no room for such differences. Neither view exhausts the meaning. Both are true, and both are needed to bring out the whole truth. Both are needed in order that the comparison may be instituted and the similitude seen.

It is true that Abraham did receive Isaac at the first, as from the dead, according to Rom 4:19, and Heb 11:11-12.

It is true that Abraham did receive Isaac back again as from the dead; for, he accounted "that God was able to raise him up from the dead," and his faith being accounted to him for righteousness, it could be truly said, "by faith, Abraham, when he was tried, has offered up Isaac" (Heb 11:17). It was this faith that enabled it to he spoken of as a thing actually done. This is the force (as we have seen) of the Perfect Tense.

Instead of one of these views being true, we may say that both views are true.

Abraham’s faith reckoned that, as he had already received Isaac, as it were, from the dead, why not receive him so again? This was the reckoning of faith. Is not all this clearly shown by the words in Gen 22:5 : "I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and COME AGAIN TO YOU."

He knew not how. But he "believed God" and spoke from the assurance of faith, and went forward in "the obedience of faith." When Isaac enquired about the lamb for the burnt offering, Abraham replied, still in the language of faith, "My son, God will provide for Himself[76] a lamb for a burnt offering" (Gen 22:8). He was as certain of that as of all beside.

[76] Hebrew ‏לוֹ‎ (lō) for Himself, not Himself as some have incorrectly taken it. This is why Abraham called the name of the place JEHOVAH JIREH, "Jehovah will provide."

He had said to Isaac, "In the mount of Jehovah it shall be seen" (Gen 22:14), and when Abraham had seen, he sealed the answer to his faith in the name he gave to the place.

Similar differences of opinion have been expressed as to the interpretation of the Type as fulfilled in Christ the Antitype. But, here again, there is no room for any difference, no one finite Type can exhaust the Infinite which is contained in the Antitype. No one offering could set forth all the aspects of Christ’s atoning death. No one Gospel could have set forth all the aspects of Christ’s earthly life.

Even so, no one Type can contain, in itself, all the perfections and truths and teachings concerning Christ, as the Antitype.

Abraham and Isaac, and the Ram, are all needed to shew forth the intertwinings of the truths which are involved.

Go back to the history in Gen 22:1-24 and note the several points: In Gen 22:2; Gen 22:12; Gen 22:16 we are shown Isaac as the only son, "thine only son... thy son, whom thou lovest." Do we not see here, "the only begotten Son," Jesus Christ, of Whom in another parable, it is said: "Having yet one Son, His Well-beloved" (Mark 12:6)? In Gen 22:2 we have the words "I will tell thee of": and Gen 22:3; Gen 22:9, "the place of which God had told him," showing how all had been ordered of the Father concerning Christ, and that in these points Abraham himself appears to be the Type of Christ. In Gen 22:6; Gen 22:8 we have the twice repeated expression used of Abraham and Isaac, "they went both of them together." Here the Type passes to Isaac, and it is he who sets forth the unity of purpose between the Father and the Son (John 10:30). In Gen 22:6, the laying of the wood upon Isaac clearly points to John 19:17. In Gen 22:9-10 the Figure Polysyndeton (many "ands") is used to mark off, point out and emphasize the deep significance of every detail. The seven "ands" show the deliberate steps, each of which demands our close and earnest consideration:

"And they came to the place...
And Abraham built an altar...
And laid the wood in order,
And bound Isaac his son,
And laid him on the altar...
And Abraham stretched forth his hand,
And took the knife."

Up to this point Isaac is the Type of Christ: and again, in Gen 22:18, as the seed in whom "all nations of the earth shall be blessed."

But, in Gen 22:13 the Ram becomes the Type of Christ, and "we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise" (Gal 4:28), for whom Christ is offered up in our stead. The Ram was "caught by his horns," the emblems of his strength, to show that the Antitype, Christ, did not succumb to death from weakness, but gave up His life in His strength.

"I lay down my life (He said) that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of My Father" (John 10:17-18). Hence it was that, on the holy mount, "they spoke of His decease WHICH HE SHOULD ACCOMPLISH."

Another seven-fold Polysyndeton is given in Gen 22:13-14, describing Abraham’s subsequent action. It is used to set forth and emphasise every act and deed, and to intimate the deep significance of each:

"And Abraham lifted up his eyes,
And looked,
And behold, behind him a ram...
And Abraham went
And took the ram,
And offered him up...
And Abraham called the name of the place Jehovah-jireh...."

Oh, what a volume is contained in those two small words "By Faith." The whole history is the grand record of the activities of faith. It is faith in action: Living faith in the Living God.

Every one of these "ands" introduces an action; and yet every action is "by faith." But this leads us to the conclusion which we must reserve for our last paper on the faith of Abraham.